Without fuel, essential services in Gaza are facing collapse, crippling everything from water treatment facilities to medical care. As the situation deteriorates, residents are resorting to desperate measures in their fight for survival. UN aid worker Olga Cherevko shared a striking example with UN News. While traveling to deliver aid, she encountered an elderly man meticulously gathering lentils that had spilled from a previous convoy. “He was picking them up with his hands and just putting them into his t-shirt, as this is obviously the only option he has right now to find food,” she recounted. This poignant image underscores the dire circumstances faced by many Gazans.
Recent reports indicate that mothers, unable to breastfeed due to severe malnutrition, are feeding their infants inappropriate substitutes such as ground chickpeas, bread, and rice. This alarming reality was highlighted by UNICEF, which declared, “this is a condition that we can prevent,” urging for increased humanitarian access. The World Health Organization (WHO) echoed this call, stressing, “the health needs in Gaza are immense. A continuous flow of medical supplies is critical.”
The situation has escalated significantly, with reports revealing that at least 50 individuals were killed and over 400 others injured recently while waiting for food near Zikim crossing in northern Gaza. Cherevko, who works with the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), described her experience of delays at the Kerem Shalom crossing, where her mission was held up for two hours before gaining access.
Despite the recent announcement of “tactical pauses” by Israel, which have slightly reduced waiting times for aid convoys, it remains insufficient. Cherevko emphasized the urgent need for fuel, stating, “We need hundreds of thousands of liters of fuel entering every day to power even the most basic facilities such as water, sanitation, healthcare, and emergency telecommunications.” While the military pauses have mitigated security incidents involving Gazans taking food from UN trucks, the overall flow of humanitarian supplies remains critically low.
OCHA’s latest updates reveal that four days into these tactical pauses, casualties continue to mount among those seeking aid. The organization warns that “unilateral tactical pauses alone do not allow for the continuous flow of supplies required to meet the immense needs in Gaza.”
The tragic reality in Gaza illustrates a humanitarian crisis that demands immediate and sustained international attention. As civilians face the threat of famine and desperate measures become commonplace, the call for increased humanitarian access and resources grows more urgent. Failure to address these pressing issues could lead to further loss of life and suffering in a region already rife with challenges.
As the world watches, it is crucial for collective action to ensure that aid reaches those in need and that the basic human rights of Gazans are upheld.
Original Source: https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2025/07/1165538
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Publish Date: 2025-07-31 17:30:00
